Red Sun Rising
by Heos
Summary: The first Uzumaki Seal Master in more than a decade finally joins the ranks of the Konoha Shinobi Forces with the Fourth War just around the corner. His goal is the top spot and as he rises he may even find the time to thwart a certain centenary Uchiha plans. Heavily AU.
1. Prologue

Prologue

Prologue Sarutobi Hiruzen calmly climbed the stairs, bemoaning the fact that even though there was only a handfull of people in his village more physically capable than him his knees still ached a little. Perhaps Orochimaru was onto something, he thought in dark humor.

As he travelled the corridor that went from the stairs to his destination he sensed the barest whisper of chakra. He stopped and focused his chakra sense. In his mind's eye perceived several lines of low density chakra crisscrossing the lobby, the old Hokage smiled slightly in pride.

As his surrogade grandson skill grew he sugested to implement seals around his home as an exercise of the various ways to use the discipline for home protection. Making Naruto a little more safe was, naturaly, part of the reason. There was no such thing as redundant security when dealing with ninja, after all.

He passed through the net and felt a minuscule amount of chakra leaving his body, trusting that those were merely detection seals instead of a trap's trigger. As he raised his fist to knock at a door it opened by itself and someone called to enter, from deeper in the apartment. Sarutobi chuckled, somebody was copying him, it seemed.

If someone told him, years ago, that Naruto would spend most of his time studing an highly theoretic and academic subject, he would laugh at his face and send him to Inoichi for psych evaluation. Nevertheless, he now found the blond sitting on his living room floor, surrounded by a chaotic mess of scrolls, books, papers and ink. A look of intense concentration in his face, apparently oblivious to his surroundings.

"Sup, old man," greeted the boy, not taking his eyes from his studies.

"Good morning, Naruto. I see that you are neither sick nor hurt, so why aren't you at the academy?" Asked the Hokage dryly and somewhat rhetorically as he sat on the floor, at Naruto's front.

"Come on old man, at morning is just theoretic crap, that is either useless or that I already know, I always go when there is important stuff," said the boy.

"Some would say that Fuinjutsu have plenty of theoretic crap." Naruto opened his mouth to defend his beloved obssesion but the man carried on.

"And Naruto, I personally approved the academy curriculum, if it's there is because I say that a Konoha shinobi must know it. Everything that you learn there is important stuff," scolded the Sandaime lightly. Naruto clearly became unconfortable, slightly squirming in his seat, he had no idea of what to say that wouldn't sound childish even to his ears. Sarutobi took some pleasure at the blond nervousness and silence.

"You showed exceptional growth since I started teaching you Fuinjutsu, so its disapointing to me that you are unable to persist with easier disciplines merely because you find then boring or beneath you." He paused to give a stern look and continued.

"You soon will be a Genin and you will be expected to follow orders no matter how much you don't enjoy them. You will also be treated as an adult, you should begin working on that. So, shape up!" Having to study something dry would be the least of Naruto's sufferings in his ninja career and not for the first nor last time the Hokage felt the guilt and uneasiness of guiding a child through the path of shinobi.

"Yes, sir! I'll do better at the boring stuff!" the boy replied in military fashion, straightening his back, dead serious despite wording. Sarutobi has to hide his amusement, Naruto wasn't someone to let oneself dwell in dark thoughts.

"If it was anyone else, you would fail the academy from your lack of attendance alone, lucky for you that I'm watching for you,"

"Favoritism, yay?" joked Naruto, hesitatly trying to lighten up the conversation.

"Yes, but don't expect more coddling in the same vein from me." The old man's sterness was already more playful.

"I noticed your detection seal, very smooth." The change of the conversation's direction to Fuinjutsu made Naruto instantly glow with entusiasm.

"You noticed? But the chakra was so thin, I can barely notice and it's my own chakra,"

"Hokage here," deadpaned, pointing at himself.

"What did you think of it?"

"Tell me about the rest of the seal and I'll say," said the elder man in teacher-like fashion.

"Well," started Naruto, matching his teacher, with uncharacteristical scholarly disposition, "I just disconnected the capture glyphs, made so they would retain the shape and density of the chakra strings and catch a tiny bit of chakra from whoever pass through them and seal in one of the twelve containers, that I keep with me here." He took a small, thin scroll with two roller from his opened orange jacket inner pocket and unrolled.

It revealed a square paper with a ring of twelve circles and a kanji for chakra in its center, one circle had a dot in its center, around the big ring there were the artful squiggly lines from the condensed glyphs.

"No alarm feature?"

"I was going to make so it would realese sound from another container when the seal was sprung, but it was kinda of unnecessary, I can sense when something goes inside the seal anyways," Naruto said casually, but Sarutobi could almost hear the boy asking for compliment.

"That's quite impressive, Naruto. Sensing a alteration in a seal, even your own, passively speaks of a great skill with the Seal Diagnostic Jutsu and Seal Disconnection is a very advanced subject, I'm proud of you," Sarutobi received the brightest smile since he promoted Gai to Jounin.

"Or rather, I would be if you weren't neglecting your other duties." And the smile lost it luster.

"Do you always have to burst my bubble?"

"Of course, it's the greatest joy of being a teacher," a companionable silence reigned for a moment.

"Come on, I'll treat you lunch," invited the Hokage, rising up.

"Hell yeah, free ramen!"

"Who said anything about ramen? I was thinking in something lighter and healthier, I'm rather old after all, can't be too careful,"

"And Suna is rather dry, you can have your whatever, I'll have my ramen,"

"Thats is not part of the deal, brat. Think as part of your punishment for being a lazy ass. And anyways, variety its the spice of life, you should try some time,"

"You and your fortune cookie saying, aways trying too hard to sound wise," teased the boy, smirking, he just received a stare.

"Remember Naruto, your next missed class better have an actual justification or you will be becoming Genin together with Konohamaru,"

"Yeah, yeah, I got it, I'll do better," said the blond, in the dismissive way that teenagers were experts.

"Humph, youth these days, no respect," Sarutobi Hiruzen grumbled good-naturedly. As they left the apartment, he was smiling.

* * *

**Author notes:** That's the first fanfiction I'm posting on this site and english isn't my first language, you have been warned. I apreciate whatever help you can provide me. I'll be diverting in various ways from canon, if you find something that contradict it it's very likely that is intentional. As I'm fond of World Building I'll post author notes regarding details of whatever featured on the chapter, that I didn't put there so the flow isn't broken by a huge infodump. To start, Fuinjutsu, something that will obvious be proeminent in this story.

**Basic Seal Theory:** The base of this 'magic system' from the more relevant use of seals in canon, that is, to put somenthing away. So I divided the Seal composition in three distinct functions, the Capture, the Container, and the Release. The first and the later are responsible for the manner in which something is sealed and released.

The Capture is typically associated with some form of chakra manipulation. A physical barrier, for instance, would work by creating a chakra surface and associating it with the Seal, so, say the chakra takes a punch its kinect energy would be sealed (from canon this function is based on Jiraya's Sealing of Amaterasu, whereas chakra reached out to capture the fire).

The Release is self-explanatory, it regulates how the release of that what was sealed will occur. Here a explosive tag would work by sealing a lot of fire and releasing it all the same instant. The aforementioned barrier would also be 'programed' to unseal the captured kinect energy automaticaly so it wouldn't take 'space' in the Container. There is also a inversely proportional relationship between Capture and Release. The explosive tag Capture is slow while it's release is fast and the barrier the reverse.

The Container is also self-explanatory, it's where you keep your stuff. It's the more vital portion of the Seal but is also the less versatile. Where in the other functions you can 'program' a variety of effects limited only by skill and knowledge, the container is static. It's only the space for what is sealed and nothing else. Of course there is several diferent types of Containers, each with its idiosyncrasies regarding how much it can hold, its not an expecific volume for everything (i.e. container X can hold 10 cm³ of solid matter or 1000 cm³ of water and container Y can hold 5000 wpu (will-power units) or a paper clip). As a rule, the more powerful the container, the more it can hold, but and the more dificult and costly is to capture and release something. So the most powerful container of all is only useful for being a prison for something big and scary.

**Seal Disconnection:** separating the physical seal without damaging its function. In this chapter's case the imprisionment aspect of the seal was physicaly separated from the rest, but still transfered the gathered chakra to the container.

**Seal Diagnostic Jutsu:** a expecific chakra sensing technique, focused on seal, naturally. Works better on touch. After the seal is condensed its inner working become hidden, requiring this jutsu to unravel them. The user senses the chakra from the seal components, and thus what they do. These components are out of order, so you essentially have only the pieces of a jigsaw. A complex the seal gives you a great mess.


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

It made ten minutes since they were left alone, when Iruka-sensei left apologising and saying that he had something else to do. Half an hour since their sensei should have arrived. Still nothing. As none of the three was very familiar with each other an awkward silence preveiled. Due the indentity of one of the genin, such silence had a very short life expectancy.

"Damn it, aren't Jounin suposed to be, like, the pinnacle of ninja? They should be punctual or at least be fashionably late!" said Uzumaki Naruto loudly, his short patience only lasted so long by virtue of the good mood brought by him finally becoming a Genin.

"If this is the Kakashi that I think he is we are in for another hour or so of waiting," informed Uchiha Sasuke from a desk closer to the blackboard than Naruto's, with the tired aceptance of someone who will have to await his superior for the aforementioned time.

"Are you serious?" asked the blond incredulous to what was answered by a simpatetic nod.

"Can you tell us what you know about our sensei, Sasuke-kun," asked the third and final member of the trio politely, a girl with short pink hair.

"Of course, I don't know that much though," with that, Naruto switched to a chair closed to his two teammates. "He is an Elite Jounin and have one transplanted sharingan eye so he is kind of an honorary Uchiha member, I guess, and as I said, is always late by an absurd time," the mention of the man's status elicited looks of entusiasm from the other two, there was only a dozen or so Elite Jounin, having one as one's teacher was a receipt for sucess. At least on paper.

"So, is he a friend of your family?" asked Sakura.

"Wouldn't go that far. He is a friend of my mom, my father... isn't very fond of him," he said diplomaticaly.

"Can say I'm surprised about that, your dad isn't exactly a ray of sunshine,"

"Naruto-san, that is not something very nice to say!" Naruto became abashed from been scolded by a cute girl, he began making a move to apologize but was interrupted.

"Its okay, I know how my father is, he had been through a lot of stress since the Kyuubi, I can't disagree with you," Sasuke said diplomaticaly. Naruto and Sakura shared a quick look as both felt the smell of daddy isues, but didn't pry further. The blond grumbled an apology anyways.

Whatever guilt he actually felt came not from his truthful observation but from the mention of the Kyuubi. It didn't took long for someone studying seals to notice that he had one on his belly. An absurdly powerful one. After that it took even less to divine its content.

Since the beast appeared right on top of the Uchiha compound their loss was the greatest. The Uchiha hadn't been atively hostile against Naruto, but they couldn't hide how his presence disturbed them, Naruto was the anthopomorphic personification of their tragedy. Needless to say, it wasn't something that Naruto knew how to deal, he understood their motives, but still, those eyes were hurtfull like no others.

"Is there anything else you know, Sasuke-kun," asked again Sakura, interrupting Naruto's dark musings inadvertently. Sasuke shrugged.

"Not of relevance, he is very annoying and like read some orange porn booklet, that's all I can say,"

"Its erotica, I mean, when its in writing, you call it erotica," Sakura promptly corrected. As the two boys stared at her silently her face's color melded with her hair's.

"W-What?! I'm just saying," somehow she felt the need to defend herself.

"One hundred points for been a fellow fan, pinkie," said a man from the back of the classroom. The three young ninja tensed noticiably, at least to ninja's eyes, and turn to see the man. Sakura was surprising enought to forget to deny.

He was sitting casualy on a chair in the last row, silver haired and wearing a mask over his lower fac, his forehead protector tilted over one eye. He was reading a booklet.

"Yo," greeted the man, hiply, single eye not leaving his reading material.

"You are late!" called Sakura sternly, the anger from being acused making her recovery the fastest.

"Maybe I'm not, maybe I was right in this spot the entire time, you guys just suck too much to notice," sugested Kakashi, semmingly smiling, boring them with his bored eye.

"Yeah, nope, not buying," said Naruto.

"Anyways, half and hour can barely be called late in my book, lucky for you I like to make good first impressions," said the porn reading Jounin.

Silence reigned.

"Sensei?" asked Sakura, hesitant.

"Just let me finish this chapter that I'll get to you,"

Sasuke facepalmed, luckly he was wearing his forehead protector.

"I'm just messing with you guys, no need to hurt yourself, Sasuke-chan. Come on, let's get to know each other. I'll start," he closed and put away his book, smile showing in his eye.

"I'm Hatake Kakashi. I like dogs, teamwork and to annoy people," he might have winked to Sasuke there, "I dislike garlic and other strong smelling foodstuff. My hobbies, hum... they are M rated so I tell you when you are older, dreams for the future... to live out life as it were my very own Icha Icha adventure!" He finished happily, Naruto and Sakura were starting to understand and share Sasuke's dread regarding their sensei.

"Your turn, fellow fan,"

"I'm not a fan!" denied the fan in a rare outburst. Kakashi only serenely looked at her, silently urging her to heed his request. She glared one last time just in case and spoke, "My name is Haruno Sakura. I like learning new things, expecialy medicine, and hanging out with Ino. I can't think of anything I hate, but perhaps maybe groundless accusations." She looked pointedly, earning a smile. "My dream for the future, it's just to be a good ninja and support my family."

"Your turn, Sasuke-chan," said Kakashi, making the black haired boy sigh.

"Uchiha Sasuke. I like tomatoes, I dont like to be hurried up, closest thing to a hobby is helping out at my uncle's tea shop. My dream is to help the restoration of my clan," answered Sasuke efficiently.

"And the best for last, er, no offense guys," said Naruto, before his sensei could call for him.

"Name's Uzumaki Naruto, I like Sealing and puzzles, if they are in the form of Seals, and Ramen," he said boisterous, "I don't like having nothing to do. My hobby is gardening. My dream, no, my goal is to be Hokage and revive my clan." At that last tidbit, the other genin looked curiously at Naruto.

"Now that we all know each other, some last minute information," he said.

"There is one last test for you, where I'll judge if you got what it takes to be my minions." That certainly got their attention. "It has a 66% failure rate and will decide your entire career, whether you join the Genin Corps with the regular people or join the ranks of greatness" He pointed at himself.

"As did I." He then pointed at Sasuke.

"As did your parents." Then at Naruto.

"As did the Hokage." And finally at Sakura, though he didn't spoke.

"As did Tsunade-sama?" she offered.

"Yeah, lets go with that. So, tomorrow, if you don't want to be a nobody, meet me at the Third Training Ground at nine o'clock, bring pain killers. 'Till then." White chakra-smoke burst from him and when it cleared he wad gone.

"What a weirdo," said Naruto.

"Tell me about it," agreed Sasuke.

"Should we show up earlier, to scout and prepare the grounds?" asked Sakura.

"I don't know, didn't Sasuke said he is always late, we will end up waiting more. If anything we should show up late."

"But if we are late I bet he will have arrived early just so he can punish us," said Sasuke, the others agreeing with him after thinking back of their Sensei. They ended up settling to go a few minutes early.

"Do you guys wan't to hang out, discuss strategies or something?" asked Naruto

"Sorry,I have clan stuff to attend."

"I promissed that I would go to Ino's"

"Alright, see you guys tomorrow," said the blond, hiding his disapointment.

They said their good byes and hung there, hesitant for a moment, before parting ways.

* * *

The next day, ten minutes earlier than the time settled, Team Seven met at the Third Training Ground. It was a open grassy ground, surrounded by trees by all sides but one, where a river ran. Closely, there was three tree stumps and an obsardian monument that resembled the tip of a huge kunai.

Sakura and Sasuke wore mostly their regular outfits, blue shirt and white shorts for Sasuke and a red dress and blue leggings for Sakura. The former had armguards instead of armwarmers and two tanto at his lower back, hilts opposite from each other. The later only sprouted the addition of a small backpack.

Naruto was more diferent than usual. He ditched his usual orange jacket for an extensive burgundy harness, filled with pockets and belts at the waist and thighs, showing his black mesh undershirt. Like Sasuke, he had black armguards, although his had retangulars compartments attached to the inside of the forearms. His orange pants remained.

"Pretty badass, eh?" fished Naruto for compliments, showing of his gear enthusiastically.

"I guess?" answered Sakura, Sasuke shrugged. Naruto deflated from their reactions.

"Err, we should start preparing the grounds, then?" Naruto said awkwardly, "Traps and Replacement Logs," he offered. Replacement Logs, were timber chunks whose wood type, size and chemical treatment were so that the Replacement Jutsu was easier and more efficient.

"Only the logs, we probably have plenty between us, we don't know if the test will be around this area, this could be only the starting point, trapping could be a waste of equipament," said Sakura.

"Oh man, but my traps are awesome, well, I don't care, I have no shortage of traps, I'll put mine on."

They started unsealing logs of the length of their torsos from small scrolls and spread around the place, informing each other of their locations. Naruto stuck plenty of seals in strategic places, but didn't set any mechanism to activate then yet, many could be turn on by a burst of his chakra anyways.

After finishing, they sat and engaged in quiet, polite and professional conversation regarding each other skills and possible tactics. Well, two thirds polite and professional, although Naruto's regular exuberance was dulled by his lack of contact with the other two and a carefulness to not alienate his teamates. If only they were not so dull, thought the blond, in one of many awkward silences.

"Nice garter belts Naruto," said Kakashi, in another unnoticed entrance.

Sakura snorted, the black haired boy at her side was also visibly amused. The blond's eye twitched in anger.

"Oh, it's so on you annoying bastard, I'll kick your ass!" shouted Naruto.

"Its good to see such entusiasm, but please, let me explain this test first." He paused dramaticaly.

"Each of you will have to take one of this bells from me." He jingled the bells in his hand.

"You better come at me with killing intent or you'll have no chance," finished Kakashi, more serious than ever before. He gestured to one of the stumps, where a clock rested,"You have 'till midday."

"There are only two bells, Kakashi-sensei," pointed Sakura.

"I know,"

"And there are three of us," informed Sasuke, annoyed at the man deliberate obtuseness. Said man nodded.

"Only two can pass this test, good luck,"

"Thats ridiculous, I never heard of a two man genin team," said Sasuke.

"I'll just grab a random Genin later, thats is, assuming that two of you can even get a bell." The tension on the atmosphere rose.

"Sasuke, Sakura, I'll go first," said Naruto, face set in determination and a small amount of anger. The two traded uncertain looks and vanished to the same side, hiding in the florest.

"So eager to get your ass kicked, eh" taunted Kakashi.

Naruto ignored and dashed away from him with surprising speed, the chakra he gathered and carefully controlled at the bottom of his feet propulsed the boy almost explosively. The blond flicked his wrists and four cards appeared in each hand, he threw them like shurikens so that they converged on their target. Before they reached it, steel bolts shot from the flat of the cards faster than any kunai thrown by a genin. Most plunged deeply in Kakashi's body. Or rather, a log's body.

"Cool trick," praised Kakashi from behind Naruto. Sneaking behing people and talking seemed to be the Jounin's signature jutsu.

The genin took his failure in stride and rushed into close combat. His first punch was casualy deflected, he flicked his parried hand and a bolt was shot from a card, aimed at Kakashi's torso. I was batted away by a blurring arm. As was his following one-two and subsequent arrows, he tried to fire six arrows at the same time, but Kakashi seemed to teleport ninety degrees to his side, dodging all.

He channeled chakra into his limbs to the point of hurting, but he still wasn't fast enough. He raised his leg, and a bolt shot from the bottom of his feet, but it still wasn't enough. Naruto kept alternating between taijutsu moves and shoting arrows from near point blank range, but despite the speed of the later and their unconventional angles the jounin frustated the entire onslaught, with apparent ease and not attacking once.

"You are only wasting arrows, at this distance," lectured Kakashi calmly, blocking a low kick and batting another bolt away, "I can sense when you trigger your seals, the fastest attack is useless if you know from were and when it's coming," he punctuated with his first strike, a front kick that threw Naruto and his breath away.

Unconcerned by the hit, the blond picked two full decks of cards and flung them haphazardly as he rolled further away with the kick. He ran through few handseals and the cards positioned themselves roughly around Kakashi forming a great sphere. The chakra formed a net between the cards that had the added benefit of blocking the use of the Replacement Jutsu. Naruto aditionaly threw two kunai at oposite sides, away from the silver haired man.

"Dodge this!"

Kakashi didn't move from his spot, his hands blurred with an absurd speed and a smaller, thin dome of rapidly swirling water materialized around him just in time.

There was a low whomp of sound as one hundred and four bolts shot through the air in unison. It was useless, Kakashi's jutsu completely blocked Naruto's, the the bolts were all deflected. Still, Naruto ran through seals again and Kakashi reacted by dropping his jutsu, the water dispersing rather violently, and retreating further.

"Sorry, but I won't stay between those three seals," informed the Jounin, having also noticed the kunai the Naruto placed on the ground behind him in addition to the other two.

"Doesn't matter, Triangle Choke Jutsu!" A light chain of chakra appeared from the two furthermost kunai on the ground and a third came from the woods, joining and forming a thick, bright collar of chakra around Kakashi's neck, lifting him a foot of the ground. The Jutsu was almost instantaneous. Naruto didn't finished yet, he hurled two more kunai right under the hanging man and made more handseals.

"Double Constriction Jutsu!" Two rope-like snakes of chakra swiftly appeared from the knives and tightly circumscribed the man, their heads arched over Kakashi's after completely imobilizing the man.

"Gotcha!" said Naruto, smiling triumphantly. He quickly moved to get his bell, cautious but confident. He was less than five meters away when Kakashi exploded, the shockwave flinging him off.

For a long moment he only knew pain and was uncertain whether he blacked out or not. The boy slowly rose to his knees, a quick analysis and he certified that depite the pain his body was in one piece, his ears were ringing and he was mostly flash blind, though.

"What-How... the fuck." He coughed.

"You were fighting a Shadow Clone the entire time, that last thing was an explosive tag going off, a true ninja will rather die than fail the mission, after all," prompted Kakashi, few steps away, completely pristine.

"Were you ever told that you are a very annoying bastard?" Said Naruto, his vision already improving.

"Once or twice." He paused. "So, when will you start to fight for real?" he asked inocently. Naruto aswered the jive by whipping a steel wire, after it coiled around the arm Kakashi raised to block he unsealed the eletricity in the seal after the handle. The Jounin casually pointed the fore and index fingers of his oposite hand at the blond and shot a small lightning bolt back to him. Naruto fell the gound again, screaming and writhing in pain.

"Heh, that was an unfortunate move, kid. I'll give you one last try, then I'm done with you," said Kakashi. Naruto was still on fours and glared upwards with anger, pain and frustation. He distanced himself from the enemy in a wasteful explosion of chakra, not even bothering to rise up, cracking earth and raising dust.

When at a good distance, Naruto grabbed eight kunai with his fingers and hurled at the unmoving Kakashi. He remotely detonated then when they roughtly surrounded the man. A huge explosion tore the clearing, the blond had to stick his feet to the ground to not be thrown away a third time. Naruto checked his back, expecting to witness Kakashi sneaking from behind when he heard a thunk next to him. A head landed just at his feet, Kakashi's.

Before his brain had time to choose what should he think, its single eye bore into him, visibly alive.

"Aw, man,why would you do this?" spoke the head, obviously hurt.

"Wha-"

"Earth Release: Headhunter Jutsu," Naruto heard as he was mostly pulled underground.

"Oh, hey, now we can be disembodied pals," it spoke cheerfully.

"Kakashi, can you at least dispell your creepy head?" said Naruto, defeated, a the head stared at him, unconfortably close.

"Kakashi?"

"Kakashi!" he screamed, at the top of his lungs, pouring all the frustation accumulated during the fight in it.

"Don't cry, man, its not that bad to be a head."

* * *

Hidden in the foliage, Sasuke watched as Naruto fought a close quarters battle with their Sensei. He was impressed by the boy Jutsu, seem in any other occasion he would call it effective, but against Kakashi their uselessness only caused dread. He was aware of Naruto's skill at Fuinjutsu, as was anyoneat their accademy class, but only now he realized it's significance.

He was only familiar with Naruto's physical strenght and speed from the academy's spars. They were almost always a touch greater than his, which was mostly negated by his greater skill and the sharingan. In fact, he noticed that wherever he managed to surpass the blond in those aspects through sheer hard work; Naruto would, unfairly quickly, get back on top. Making Sasuke come to the conclusion that he was merely someone to be measured against. It was rather annoying.

Their positions where reversed now, he was the one using blond as a gauge. By matching himself with him he could deduce how well he would do against Kakashi. It was a very easy deduction. He couldn't see any way on how to clear the gulf between himself and the man.

A mess of frustration and powerlessness settled in his heart. The the same feelings that his father had fanned over his life started to bloom in his chest. Of not being good enought, of always having to push but never reach his standarts. Of the weight of being the heir. Sometimes, when he had darker thoughts, he guiltly felt jealous of Naruto. For the hundreth time he wondered on how different would his life be had his brother lived.

He was interrupted from his thoughts when he saw the blond succeed at restraining Kakashi, he prepared rush there and use the oportunity to get the other before Sakura. But Kakashi exploded. From there on it was just a curbstomp battle, or rather, it had always being one it just got clearer now.

When he sparred with his father, the man would normally beat the shit out of him to show how weak he still was and how much he still have to improve. Kakashi aproach were perhaps worse. He just let you try your everything, seemingly so above you that you didn't deserve to be attacked or taked seriously, casually mocking you with the ease that he fended any attempt.

"Do you think you could do better than that, because I sure can't?" asked Sakura, surprising Sasuke, he didn't noticed her untill she spoke and inwardly cursed at his inattention. He hoped she had just arrived, it would be doulbly embarassing if she was there for too long.

"I don't think so," he admited.

"Good, then the answer is obvious." Her choice of words confounding the boy.

"It is?"

"Kakashi is making us ask ourselves the wrong question, how we get the bells? We already know the answer, we can,'t," she paused and later explained herself better,"You saw when Naruto managed to bind Kakashi, it was a Shadow Clone, he can very well reveal only Shadow Clones to us, so even if we get close enought to succeding he can just dispell it or"

"So, assuming that this is a test wasn't set to be impossible, then the objective is other," she added, waiting for Sasuke come to the conclusion.

"Teamwork. The two bells were just to divide us. I'm such an idiot, he even mentioned that he likes teamwork in his stupid introduction. It's so obvious,"

"Don't be so hard on yourself, Sasuke-kun, now we just have to plan accordingly."

Unknown to the teens, Kakashi was watching them the entire time. Hidden beyond the Genin capabilities of detection by redundant layers of Ninjutsu and Genjutsu. He smiled as he spied his prospective team, two thirds done, but to pass this test you need one hundred per cent.

He made a Shadow Clone to fight them later and the clone got away so he wouldn't hear them as they planned. Not in order be fair, as a ninja Kakashi would take offence in be called fair, but so he can compare their plan and execution without the bias of foresight. Also, as a veteran shinobi with seventeen years of experience under his belt, he made a habit of not personally engaging combat when he could avoid, even against Genin.

As they just finished their planning, he signaled to his clone to step in by with a ninjutsu that materializing expecific smells out of chakra, a technique learned from the Inuzuka. Letting they plan in peace was all he would let them do in peace, they would have to implement it under pressure.

"Are you done?" asked the clone, "I'm not getting any younger, you know."

"Can you come back in ten minutes?" asked Sasuke politely.

"I'm afraid not, I already made things easy enought for you, even for a weakling like yourself." Thought he knew the man goal, Sasuke couldn't help but show anger.

"I'm not as easily baited."

"Kakashi-sensei, I still have the hundred points from yesterday, can I switch them for a bell?" Sakura tried to defuse the mood.

"A bell costs ten thousand, I'm afraid," he shot instantly.

"Do you think you can do better than than Naruto? He is by far the strongest of you," said Kakashi, hitting the Uchiha where it hurt again.

"Will you stop with that!" said Sakura angryly.

"A ninja use everything in his disposal as a weapon, including words," said Kakashi, not even trying to deny what he was doing.

Sasuke showed no reaction until he shot towards the Jounin, making handseals as he ran. Behind the boy, Sakura's hands did the same, thought the lack of visual effect from ger part suggested a Genjutsu. Before reaching the shadow clone, Sasuke unsheated his short swords, their blades becoming enveloped with lightning. For a moment Clone-Kakashi became interested in this development, did that meddling old monkey knew that this Uchiha shared his affinity? He wouldn't be surprised.

If being of the same chakra nature as his sensei would be a boon for Sasuke at long term, now it was just a unfortunate hazard. Sasuke's flurry of slashes weren't neither dodged nor parried, but met with mirrored strikes by Kakashi's equaly electrified kunai. He didn't needed the Sharingan to match a Genin.

Sasuke didn't let the surprise bother him and kept slashing thus so did Kakashi, they clashed with crackling noises and flying sparks. The Jounin noticed that the power of Sasuke's techninque was lessening, his skill at Nature Transformation to low to support the technique's demand without the aid of handseals. The boy must have reached a similar conclusion, he reatreated a few steps, banged his swords together and when he parted them all their eletricity was in a large spark between them. Kakashi naturally did the same.

The Voltaic Arc Jutsu was one of the basic of the Lightining Style, countering the high cost of the element by flowing the chakra in and out of the body in a circuit. At the same time both arcs stretched against one another.

The counterbalancing effect from their jutsu was rather peculiar, instead of crashing into or negating each other they melded, becoming a single circuit with both their chakras peacefully coexisting. From Sasuke to the air to Kakashi and back again. The more experienced could easily deal with that quantity of foreign Lightning chakra passing through his body, the less could not.

Clone-Kakashi grew suspicious of Sasuke as he wasn't letting the jutsu go despite his pain, his suspicions were justified when the his adversary crouched with a velocity only possible by sticking on the ground and an incredible bright, dense and fast spear of fire came from were his upper torso used to be.

The Kakashi on the trees held a masochistic amusement as he saw himself hastly dodge the attack. Not that he could blame as that jutsu seemed powerful enought to melt a hole through his body by sheer heat, but since he knew the truth he could hold such strange schadenfreude.

The jutsu was clever, in fact it was an original so he made a mental note to question Sakura about it later. It was a fire very delicadely made in order to look powerful while being completely harmless. In order to fool his self, probably whatever little heat it had must have being concentrated outwardly to give credence to the ilusion. Sakura would become a force to be reckoned if she managed a jutsu with the effect matching what the ilusion appeared to be.

Sasuke pressed again, this time not bothering with his Sword Current Jutsu, though he would now change his grip of the sword now and then for greater variety. Sakura provided ranged support, spears of fire streaking and curving through the air at Kakashi, Sasuke managing to stay out of the way just in time. The reason for such perfect timing was Sakura early Genjutsu, one directed at Sasuke, probably an auditory one for comunication.

Together they managed to keep the taller man on his toes, at least at the level he was holding himself. He found their subtle-for-a-Genin ploy to guide the fight so Sakura would be behind Kakashi rather adorable. Sakura switched Jutsu, a great mass of fire surged to engulf both fighters. When it cleared, Sasuke was alone and unharmed, a scorched spot were Kakashi used to be.

Two arms came from underground and grabbed Sasuke's ankles, they were imediately cut with a lightning imbued sword, crumbling into dirt. Later Kakashi bursted from behind and suplexed Sasuke, burying his head on the ground in a parallel to the other male Genin. The Uchiha quickily recovered, head dirty but not particulary hurt beyond his ego, as his glare sugested. Midst the cleansing of his face his expression softed a little, he glanced at Sakura and nodded before running away.

"Your boyfriend just ditched you, Pinkie," teased the clone to no effect.

"He didn't, it's just that I didn't got my turn, Sensei," she said

"You guys keep calling me sensei, but I still haven't accepted you," said the man seriously.

"You will," the certainty of her voice palpable. Kakashi smiled.

"We shall see." As the man spoke, Sakura started to weave handseals, "Another one of those yin natured fire jutsu, I presume. That last one was nice, harmless untill Sasuke added his chakra to it, you almost got me," he finished and so did Sakura's long string of seals.

"Fire Release: Sakura Blooming Jutsu." With that she was surrounded by a aura of pink flames, they rose and began to break down into tiny motes of fire that dispersed throughout the glade. It didn't advanced towards Kakashi, but started to make a loose ring around the man until it surrounded him.

Kakashi rightfully deduced that that Jutsu would have some actual effect and didn't threw himself on the motes to discover. Sakura remained on the spot, maintaining the fire aura and a variation of the Tiger handseal.

As he was completely surrounded and the petals were multipling and advancing, Kakashi was tempted to use the Hiding Mole Jutsu, althought he decided against, he was feeling too much like a one trick pony. It was also impolite to treat someone's Ultimate Jutsu that way. Unless it was Gai, he still remembered when his old friend first used Green Steam versus him and he just hid underground until it weared of. Good Times.

So he made a Shadow Clone and his new self threw himself at the pink speckles. He burst on fire, made a little exclamation of surprise and popped shortly after. The memory return made both Kakashis wince. 'What a cute little Genin with her cute little technique,' they thought, it sets you on fire without the benefict of actual damage and, thus, the destruction of the pain receptors.

On three points the particles accumulated and shot with unprecedented speed, three quick water bullets made short work of them, a fourth was spat at the pink haired girl. She managed to dodge despite the concentration needed for her jutsu, one hundred points for her. There was a visible hiccup on the technique but it held, before he could turn this in a battle of attrition he was interrupted by several kunai from above, they were electrified and linked by lightning forming a net.

Like every other lightning Jutsu it was useless, Kakashi flung his own lightning linked shuriken and they canceled each other, the kunai buried fully underground, harmlessly. The Elite Jounin was preparing to teach the Uchiha a lesson about not being caught so high in the air when four walls of chakra surrounded him, from behind a tree came out a dirty Naruto, smirking.

"Fire Release: Fire Dragon Breath Jutsu!" called Sasuke as he fell, a swirling cone of flames aproached Kakashi, he tried to escape underground but could only sink to his ankles, the barrier had a fifth surface.

"Is that good enough teamwork for you, Sensei?" Asked Sakura to nowhere in particular, as the flames from Sasuke, the barrier from Naruto and her own fire petals dissipated. Every Kakashi was out of sight until he appeared in a swirl of leaves, the three Genin tensed expectantly.

"I could tease you a little more, but you proved yourselves to be Kakashi grade awesome, it will be a honor to be your teacher, you pass," the man spoke enough conviction that even with his history of mischievousness his three students had no doubt of his sincerity. Sasuke and Naruto high fived, the later with his exuberance turned up to eleven. Sakura fell on her knees and sighed contently, allowing herself rest from her costly Jutsu, smile on lips.

* * *

**Jutsu List:**

Triangle Choke Jutsu: Providing that two of the Seals are next to both target and user, this jutsu is near instantaneous. It forms three ethereal chains that joins in a bright chakra collar on the victim neck, lifting in the air and choking.

Double Snake Constriction Jutsu: Based from Naruto's skill in the Transformation Jutsu, this jutsu creates two glowing snakes from the chakra stored in the tags. Can be used with more or less serpents (with the name changing acordingly). The seals also capture and release kinect energy at similar rates, increasing the strength and effectiveness of the constriction. As the snake itself is based on the Transformation, its rather fragile without the Seal.

Double-deck Release Jutsu: Simple jutsu that uses chakra string to create structures with the cards and release then at the same time. Can be made into walls as well as the sphere on this chapter.

Four Corners Barrier: Creates four walls and one floor of chakra, these screens seal the kinect energy of what comes with contact, as well as releasing so to not overwhelm the Container capacity. As the release is slower than the capture, it can be broken throgh perseverance and/or powerfull attacks. If its broken the screens must be remade, as the seals also possess an inbuild chakra quantity for the inicial barrier, the repair the chakra must be gatherer and molded 'manually'.

Lightining Release: Voltaic Arc Jutsu: Basic Lightining Jutsu, cost almost no chakra to maintain, at least until it hits something. Flows the chakra in and out of the body in a circuit. The arc can be lenghtened a few meters.

Lightning Release: Sword Current Jutsu: Equal in principle with the Voltaic Arc, but with the current running at the edges of a blade. Enhances cutting power and makes blocking with something metal troublesome. Loses power as it hits.

Lightning Release: Shuriken Net Jutsu: Creates a net out of the eletricity that links the projectiles, not much damage beyond muscle spasm and pain from the shock. Can be used with anything metal despite the name.

Fire Release: Fire Dragon Breath Jutsu: Cone of swirling flames. As Sasuke isn't Fire Natured the jutsus flames intensity as well as the cone tightness is less than perfect.

Fire Release: Sunfire Spear: Bright, impressive looking, narrow and quick firestream. Can curve through the air. All heat is focused outwards, so the maximum damage is the equivalent of a sunburn.

Fire Release: Combustible Fire: Harmless and heatless fire, at least until it receives chakra from another source. As every fire jutsu that Sakura used in this chapter, its some form of unbalanced towards yin jutsu.

Fire Release: Sakura Blooming Jutsu: Sakura Ultimate Jutsu (so far), forms multiple 'flowers' of pink fire that explode into flames on contact, the flames cause no physical damage but feels like burning. The flames can only be extinguished by something chakra saturated, likewise, they can pass through non-chakra saturated matter. Though it resemble a Genjutsu its impervious to normal Genjutsu countering means. Water, fire and wind jutsu can destroy the 'petals'. Sakura has to mantain concentration while the jutsu is active.

Genjutsu: Auditory Communication: simple mantained Genjutsu used for onesided silent Release: Repeling Shield: Defensive water jutsu against light projectiles. A thin, swirling sphere of water. Resembles the Kaiten.

**Author Notes:** The jutsu list has somewhat repetitive information, but, well, no harm done. As you can see, the characters a tiny little bit out of their canon character, I'll explain the reasons for that eventualy. Some are already rather obvious. And then, there will be multiple changes, mostly on mechanics and world building, that will be here as a matter of personal taste. For instance, there will be no Mangekyou.


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